The location of the fourth Dota major has been a well-kept secret, but on Monday night the announcement came that Southeast Asia would be getting a major of its own with the third competition being held in Manila, Philippines, in early June.
Dota announces next major to be held in Manila, rounding out inaugural season
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
It’s unclear if this schedule will remain permanent, or just hold for 2016, but we are now seeing the season take shape -- and it looks fantastic. The four major regions in competitive Dota are represented, and so far fans have had nothing but positive things to say about the schedule, venue selection and organization of the events. This is how the first season of the Major Championships looks:
- Frankfurt Major: 11/13/15 - 11/21/15
- Shanghai Major: 2/25/16 - 3/6/16
- Manila Major: Early June, 2016
- The International 2016: Mid August, 2016
The decision to implement a major system codifies Dota play outside of The International. Up to this point competition has been organized and regulated by third parties, which has been fine -- but lacked the cohesiveness Riot has shown with League of Legends and the LCS.
Having firm, established, regular competition could lead to a more predictable patch schedule, greater security for players who will be locked into rosters and establish higher production values, which in turn will help legitimize the Dota scene across eSports. Only good is coming from this and so far Valve and Dota have handled the major system perfectly.
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